Journey's End (If You Sleep)
by StarGlider
Summary: An extremely sad story that I know has been done, but it's my turn to do it. A songfic. Please Read and Review!!!


AUTHOR'S NOTE: I can't believe I did this. I kept telling myself I shouldn't, that it was corny, and I had better things to do. Then I just wrote the story, and I realized I could make the song fit...*sigh* The song 'If You Sleep' is one of my favorite songs, and it's (c) Tal Bachman. Curses, why'd you write this sad song?! No one should have the right! Sorry if it's been done...I know this type of story has been written, but I wanted to write one. Ok, Ok, the story...  
  
  
  
~ ~ ~   
Journey's End (If You Sleep)  
~ ~ ~   
  
  
The terrified cries rang through Ash's brain...'No...help me...please...arrrrgh...'  
  
She was a water trainer...what had gone wrong?  
  
How had the river gotten the best of her?  
  
Ash sniffed. His whole face was hot, red...he didn't know if it was with anger or fear. Maybe both.  
  
Ash thought about Misty, in critical or worse condition, just down the hall. Brock was soemwhere else, but he had been at least somewhat consiuos when they got here. But Misty...  
  
Ash remembered talking to her, just the night before the river had taken her. They had actually had a normal, civilized discussion for once...about life, and their feelings on it and things in general. They hadn't even fought. Ash felt like for the first time he really knew her. After traveling with her and Brock for years, Ash actaully had gotten to know Misty personally. She was really his friend, not just some annoying girl he didn't care about.  
  
Then why the Hell hadn't he jumped in to save her?  
  
The cries of pain returned...'Help...please..."  
  
Then the whole scene...  
  
* * *   
  
Misty, in her swimming suit at the river's side, wading out into the cold water. Brock, in swimming trunks, was walking over the rocky river side to join her, several feet from the water...   
  
Ash lay on a patch of grass, also in a bathing suit, with Pikachu by his side. He and his friend's backpacks and clothes lay under a tree, several yards from Ash...  
  
The sun shone, so friendly and warm, on Ash's bare back...he sighed, breathing in fresh air, savoring the peaceful moment...  
  
"Ahhh...!"  
  
The next moment, Ash was alert, scanning the river...whay had Misty cried out? She was splashing about in the water, but nothing seemed wrong. Oh, of course...she was just playing around.  
  
Ash lay back again...  
  
"No...help me...please..."  
  
Ash was on his feet now. Something was definitely wrong with his friend.   
  
Brock was racing out, rushing to Misty, soon swimming in the current...  
  
"Arrrghhh.."  
  
A splashing, gurgling noise...  
  
"I'll get the Pokemon to help her!" Ash had cried stupidly, and ran over through the sharp rocks and grass to the backpacks..  
  
"Ahh...ple...ease..."  
  
There was no more to do.  
  
The two bodies struggled in the water, bobbing up and down, until one went limp, and the other continued to fight against the strong current...  
  
Minutes later, with Pokeballs in hand, Ash was standing over Brock and Misty's tattered bodies...they had gone over the small falls, hitting rocks, logs...floating uselessly, until Brock had paddled them to shore...  
  
And Ash had gone to get Pokemon? As if they could have really helped...  
  
Ash couldn't let Misty die...  
  
  
~~~  
  
~Figure of divine perfection  
No one's loved with more affection  
Soul to soul we've breathed  
Oh, I won't let the Fates succeed~  
  
~ ~~  
  
  
A nurse walked up to him. "Ash Ketchum?"  
  
Ash stared up at her, intenly, waiting for her to speak again.  
  
"Your friend Brock is going to be fine. He's concious, just with a broken leg and twisted wrist, that's all that's serious, but he'll be fine soon..." She trailed off, and Ash waited, knowing and fearing why she had.  
  
"Well, and the girl...she, well, there's no improvement, no change."  
  
Ash lowered his head. "ok."  
  
Ash just sat there, unmoving. He heard voices here and there, noises, but they meant nothing. All he could do was wait.  
  
Hours passed...  
  
Another uniform clad women walked up to him, speaking gently to him.  
  
"Ash?"  
  
He slowly looked up, numb and scared.  
  
"I'm afraid that your friend Misty hasn't gotten any better..."  
  
'No..'  
  
"I'm sorry dear, but there's really nothing more we can do for her now..."  
  
'Please, no...'  
  
"The machines are keeping her..."  
  
'Please, please, it can't be...'  
  
"...she was too far gone when..."  
  
'Please don't let it be...'  
  
"You'll have to come and say goodbye to her, Ash."  
  
'It can't happen, please..._please_ don't let this happen...'  
  
"I'm sorry, it's too late..."  
  
'NOOO!'  
  
  
~~~  
  
~Worried hours of contemplation  
Whispered bits of conversation  
Unaffected orderlies  
Disinfected rooms and hallways~  
  
~~~  
  
  
A lady in white came back minutes later. "We're going to wait until her family can be here."  
  
Ash found himself waiting again.   
  
And he couldn't stop himself from crying.  
  
She would be gone forever...he would lose a friend forever...  
  
  
~~~  
  
~And if you sleep, you sleep with God  
And if I cry, it's for my heart  
Why should I hope to make it through?  
'Cause if you sleep, I'll sleep too~  
  
~~~  
  
  
  
"We're ready, Ash."  
  
He was being lead down the hall now.   
  
A door opened, and a steady beeping noise kept Ash's nerves on end. His insides seemed to sink as he entered the dim room, his eyes ready to burst with tears at any moment.  
  
Beep...beep...beep...  
  
Brock was was even there, in a wheel chair, solemnly waiting.  
  
Beep...beep...beep...  
  
Misty's family, her three sisters kneeling at her bed side, with moist cheeks.  
  
Beep...beep...beep...  
  
Straight faced nurses and doctors by the door.  
  
Beep...beep...beep...  
  
Several moments, passing in silence, without a word...  
  
Beep...beep...  
  
The doctor by Misty's bedside, waiting, ready.  
  
...Beep. . .  
  
A silence, a waiting, so tormenting...and....  
  
...Beeeeeeeeeeeeeeeepppppp.... . . . .  
  
The unending strain felt like instant death to all in the room.  
  
  
* * *   
  
All the good days, the bad days...sweet, or bitter...the memories...all shattered at the single sound that meant death. Everything had turned out OK before...why not this time? Why had such a thing, just one thing, a strain of sound, suddenly brought Ash's world tumbling...falling at his feet?  
  
Maybe because now he knew firsthand just how harsh reality was...  
  
Where was his comfort now?  
  
  
~~~  
  
~Jagged thorns and pretty petals  
Butterflies and stinging nettles  
Sunny days and nights of blackness  
But where's the joy to cure my sadness?~  
  
~~~  
  
  
There was a void in Ash's heart and mind...not only because he missed his friend, but because he had, in a way, failed. Things had changed so quickly and Ash's mind was going around in circles.  
  
He had failed to save her when she needed him.  
  
It was over, then...  
  
  
~~~  
  
~And if you sleep, you sleep with God  
And if I cry, it's for my heart  
Why should I hope to make it through?  
'Cause if you sleep, I'll sleep too~  
  
~~~  
  
  
The sun was out. Hundreds of graves covered the turf. A black mass of people stood before a freshly dug hole.  
  
How dare the sun shine today?  
  
How dare anyone in the world laugh, or smile, or even think of being happy?  
  
Words passed Ash by. They were of no comfort. Ash's mother stood by him, a fragile hand on his shoulder. She couldn't make things better, either.  
  
The crowd soon dispersed, cars drove away. And Ash felt lower than ever.  
  
Brock, on crutches and with a wrapped wrist, was waiting for Ash by the curb, his face sad and empty.  
  
"So..." he asked, "What now, Ash?"  
  
Ash shrugged. "I don't know for sure. It's hard to think right now, but...it doesn't feel the same...no, it doesn't feel _right_ to go on without her on my journey..."  
  
Brock nodded. "I'm going back home for a while. I'll help out my father with the family, I guess, until I get better. What then, I have yet to decide, but this is the way it is for now."  
  
Ash sighed. "I suppose I'll just go home. I can't go on like this, by myself."  
  
"It'll take time," Brock said, a hand on Ash's shoulder. Ash nodded, choking back tears.   
  
How had the permanant abscence that skinny, red-haired girl that Ash had always seemed to want to leave changed everything? Now, Ash wasn't even sure if he would or could go on. He had been annoyed and angry with her at times, and yet, he owed her so much.  
  
Nothing would ever be the same for Ash again, because there was something in his life missing...  
  
Why?  
  
Misty wasn't going to follow Ash anymore, and Brock was going, too.  
  
Ash watched Brock leave. His hands clenched, Ash fell to his trembling knees, all by himself, tears falling into the grass by Misty Waterflower's grave.  
  
  
~~~  
  
~Gleaming cars and covered faces  
Teary eyes in hollowed places  
Grass and granite stone  
No one's been more all alone~  
  
~~~  
  
  
Ash was at his journey's end, but he would have given anything for things to go back to the way they had been...  
  
  
~~~  
  
~And if you sleep, you sleep with God  
And if I cry, it's for my heart  
Why should I hope to make it through?  
'Cause if you sleep, I'll sleep, too...~  
  
~~~  
  
  
  
~@End@~  
  
  
  



End file.
